Chapter 11 - The Power Outage
The sudden plunge into darkness was accompanied by an eerie, low-frequency hum that vibrated through the metal legs of the interrogation table. Outside the heavy door, emergency alarms began to wail, their piercing sirens echoing down the concrete corridors of the federal building.
"Stay right where you are," Agent Vance ordered sharply, standing up and reaching for his tactical flashlight. The beam cut a bright white slash across the dark room, illuminating Maya, who grabbed onto Zora’s arm with trembling fingers.
"What's happening?" Maya whispered, her voice cracking with fear. "Is someone breaking in?"
"Sit tight," Agent Vance muttered, unholstering his sidearm and moving cautiously toward the heavy metal door. He gripped the handle and pulled, but the electronic lock clicked frantically, refusing to release. The security system had automatically sealed the sector due to a grid failure.
Inside the dark room, the only light came from the beam of the flashlight bouncing off the stainless-steel walls. Suddenly, the small security monitor mounted in the corner of the ceiling flickered back to life, its screen glowing with static before a clear, high-definition video feed appeared.
It wasn't a news broadcast or a security camera. It was a live feed from inside the federal evidence locker downstairs.
On the screen, a figure dressed entirely in black tactical gear was methodically opening metal storage bins. The figure pulled out a heavy leather briefcase—the very same briefcase Marcus had carried into the bank before his arrest—and popped the brass latches. Inside sat a massive stack of physical paper ledgers and a secure hard drive.
"That's Dad's private archive," Zora gasped, standing up from her chair and stepping toward the monitor. "The primary ledger is inside that briefcase."
Agent Vance slammed his fist against the reinforced door. "Control, this is Agent Vance, Sector Four is compromised! We have an unauthorized breach in the evidence vault!"
The tinny voice of the dispatcher crackled back through the wall speaker, distorted by heavy static. "Agent Vance... we're reading a total system override from an external network. All internal security protocols are locked out. Repeat, we have no control over the facility."
On the monitor, the figure in tactical gear picked up the secure hard drive, looked directly into the camera lens, and slowly pulled down their black balaclava.
The face staring back at them wasn't Arthur Sterling. It was Mr. Henderson, the elderly boutique owner, smiling warmly as he winked directly at the camera.
Maya’s jaw dropped in absolute shock. "The boutique owner? Why would he steal the evidence?"
May you like
Before Agent Vance could answer, the electronic lock on the interrogation room door clicked loudly, the green LED light flashing on as power suddenly flooded back into the sector, and the door swung wide open on its own.
---
